Chapter 81: Chapter 81: Forty-nine Characters_1
Wang Linchi visited three blacksmith shops and quickly spent some Broken silver to get three books from each. These books had no titles, but they contained forty-nine symbols. Once these symbols were inscribed on Weapons, armor, or clothing, they could grant the power to Slay evil. The special abilities of the Rain Gear and the Long knife he had confiscated from The dart master were also due to these symbols.
These symbols were not a major secret. Not only blacksmiths had them, but tailors did too. They would embroider these symbols onto the lining of clothes to gain the power to Ward off evil. Currently, these symbols mainly had two effects: Slaying evil and Warding evil. The ability of the Suo Yi and Dou Li to Prevent black rain and white wind was also a derivative of Warding evil. They could also guard against ordinary rain; otherwise, why would they be called Rain Gear?
The real secrets were the manufacturing techniques and the sequence of the symbols. The manufacturing techniques were just ordinary blacksmithing and tailoring skills, essentially a monopoly on common craft knowledge. The actual Transcendent aspect was due to the symbol sequence; these symbols were not singular and could be repeated multiple times. Due to the varying sequence and length, the power and effects they could exert also differed. Some could add extra sharpness, like The dart master’s Long knife, which beyond its fixed Slay evil +20, also had an additional 5 points of Sharp attribute. This was the Slay evil derivative effect formed by the symbol sequence. The blacksmiths of Black Rain City, due to their symbol sequence, added a Solid attribute to Weapons instead of a Sharp attribute. And length was not necessarily better; sometimes, being too long would reduce potency.
The blacksmiths, tailors, and others couldn’t explain why, and Wang Linchi knew even less. He had only been exposed to these symbols for a day.
But this anti-theft measure is really powerful, using Hidden text directly. If it’s not triggered, you wouldn’t know at all, Wang Linchi thought, holding the symbols and comparing them to the ones on the Long knife. The Long knife’s patterns were very subtle and even overlapped, looking less like symbols and more like an intricate, single design. Deciphering it would not be easy. Fortunately, he had Soul Seed·Hall of Thoughts. First, he used the Thought Field’s high sensitivity to extract the patterns, then gradually deconstructed them in the Thought Mirror.
It looks like this just got more difficult...
Before extracting them, it didn’t seem like much. But as soon as he did, he found not only the forty-nine symbols in multiple permutations but also useless patterns meant to confuse the eye. More importantly, after overlapping, they became even more chaotic. For Wang Linchi to decipher the correct sequence combination, it would take more time than it was worth compared to testing them himself.Forget it, he thought. I’ll record these forty-nine symbols first. He had proposed buying the symbol sequences from blacksmith and tailor shops, but they refused to sell. After all, these were the tools of their livelihood; why would they sell them? This was like someone asking to buy their goose that laid golden eggs. They had a monopoly, and money continuously flowed into their hands. Selling it would be like cutting off their own financial lifeline; they weren’t fools, after all.
After he finished recording, no special change occurred in his Thought Mirror. It seemed the symbols only became effective when inscribed on a physical object.
It’s likely some kind of script, he mused. No, it’s more like an alphabet or phonetic symbols. They need multiple combinations to form a corresponding meaning. Wang Linchi quickly had a thought: this system was like Pinyin. If you randomly combined elements and happened to form the "spelling" of a word, it would become effective. If you could combine them to form a sentence, the effect would be even stronger. However, if a random combination formed no meaning, it would be ineffective. That was why the symbol sequence was the unrevealed secret.
If it’s really as I guessed, do I need to find a way to decipher it? Wang Linchi frowned. This is too difficult. A completely lost writing system. And this writing system even possessed a unique power. Decipher it? I don’t have that ability. Not decipher it? I wouldn’t be content with that.
Forget it, I’ll deal with this later, Wang Linchi thought, quickly abandoning that line of reasoning. Without any literature or records, deciphering an unknown writing system from scratch was even more unrealistic than expecting himself to break through this gigantic Secret Realm and unearth the secrets of this script.
After returning to the inn, he asked the innkeeper about the symbols again. The innkeeper looked at Wang Linchi as if he were a fool.
"I don’t know much about where these things come from either; no one talks about it," the innkeeper said. "If you want one, I can give you a copy." Saying this, the innkeeper took out a tattered, thin booklet from a corner of the counter.
Wang Linchi took it and flipped through it. So, they’ve already fleeced me like a fat lamb! This isn’t rare at all; everyone might have a copy at home.
No, I have to demand an explanation, Wang Linchi thought, his expression turning indignant, even though he inwardly didn’t care much. The spent gold and Silver were not his, so he wasn’t heartbroken. However, he couldn’t show it; he had to display the appropriate emotions. Therefore, he postured as if he were preparing to go and demand an explanation.
"You won’t get anything back if you go. They’re the local bullies; don’t get yourself beaten up!" The innkeeper hurriedly stopped Wang Linchi. "The blacksmiths’ strength is no joke, and they spend all day around forges. What if they lose their temper and beat you? Just consider it a lesson learned." The innkeeper naturally tried to persuade him to let the matter drop.
"Sigh, you have a point, innkeeper," Wang Linchi sighed, instantly backing down.
Seeing Wang Linchi’s behavior, the innkeeper didn’t know whether to call him sensible or just timid. "You visited the blacksmith shops today. You haven’t been to the Dart Bureau or the martial arts school yet, have you? You could go take a look. And since you want to go to the Rooster Crow Temple, be warned: the Headless ghosts there are much more ferocious than the blacksmiths. If blacksmiths get angry, they’ll at most beat you up. But if you run into Headless ghosts, they’ll try to bite your head off!" The innkeeper, intending to divert Wang Linchi’s attention, quickly changed the subject.
"Alright, I’ll focus on important matters first," Wang Linchi said. "As for the blacksmiths... it was just my own ignorance." He naturally didn’t plan to cause trouble with them. From the perspective of the Secret Realm’s natives, he had indeed been swindled, but in his eyes, it wasn’t a loss at all. No matter how much gold and Silver he had, it was useless if he couldn’t take it out of the Secret Realm. Moreover, it could only be used within this Secret Realm. In the Dajing Dynasty, gold, Silver, and jewels were not Hard Currency; Soul Kind and Soul Devices were.
"That’s good, that’s good. I’ll have the attendant show you the way." The innkeeper was also afraid Wang Linchi was just saying that and would actually go looking for trouble. After all, he was a guest in his inn. If Wang Linchi really got into trouble or had an accident, it would damage the inn’s reputation.